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People are being urged to think before they drink as part of a research project aimed at changing people’s binge drinking habits.A team of health psychologists at The University of Nottingham plan to discover whether using the workplace to supply information on the health effects of binge drinking and asking employees for a small commitment to reducing the amount they drink in a single session could change people’s binge drinking behaviour in the long term.

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Gambling activity is widespread among U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA). Results of the first national survey of its kind show problem gambling — described as gambling with three or more negative consequences (for example, gambling more than you intended or stealing money to gamble) in the past year — occurring at a rate of 2.

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Healthcare watchdogs are calling for a continued drive to improve drug addiction treatment, to ensure services are delivered consistently across the country. A report released today by the Healthcare Commission and the National Treatment Agency (NTA), shows results from the second of three annual reviews to assess the performance of substance misuse treatment services.

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Long-term harmful effects of marijuana (MJ) include risk for heart attacks and strokes in addition to impaired learning and memory. The active chemical in MJ called delta-9-tetrahyrdocannabinol (THC) is believed to exert these effects by binding to cannabinoid (CB) receptors located on several cell types in various organs. Scientists have found CB receptors in many organs including the brain, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen.

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Mental health charity Rethink has today expressed its disappointment at the government’s decision to reclassify cannabis as a class B drug. Paul Corry, director of public affairs, says: “The government has made a mistake by choosing to reclassify cannabis as a class B drug. This decision goes against all the evidence.

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The Times of Central Asia on Friday examined the state of HIV/AIDS, and the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease in Tajikistan. Recent data indicate that the number of officially recorded HIV cases in the country increased eightfold from 2001 to 2007. There were 339 new recorded HIV cases last year, bringing the total number of confirmed HIV cases to more than 1,000.

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While many people believe that alcohol-impaired (AI) drivers are usually alcoholics, in fact, 80 percent of AI incidents are caused by binge drinkers. A recent study conducted among college students has found that binge drinkers, even when legally intoxicated, nonetheless believe they have adequate driving abilities.Results will be published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at OnlineEarly.

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Russia should increase efforts to address HIV/AIDS among injection drug users to slow the spread of the disease, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said on Saturday during a conference on HIV/AIDS in the former Soviet Union,

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A new study of homeless youth suggests that treating substance abuse and mental health problems may not be enough to help get teens off the streets.Instead, researchers found that creating more opportunities for work, education and medical care were the most important factors in reducing homelessness.

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A new White House report says that many American teenagers who are depressed and use marijuana to alleviate their condition are more likely to make it worse and even risk developing more serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and even suicide.

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